Post-lifter.



H. O. ROTVOLD.

' POST LIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: H Q M/ W a, g

PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

v I l/VVENTOR UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

I-IENNING O. ROTVOLD, OF HESPER, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OLE A. LEIN, OF HESPER, IOWVA.

POST-LIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,846, dated June 14, 1904. Application filed February 26, 1904.. Serial No. 195,372. (N 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HENNING O. ROTVOLD, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Hesper, in the county of VVinneshiek and State of Iowa, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Lifters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in postlifters for pulling fence-posts and the like out of the ground; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view, parts being broken away, of the point end of the lifter. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the point end of the lifter, and Fig. 4: is a detail perspective view of a portion of the chain.

In the construction shown the lifter includes. a stand A, which is forked at its upper. end at A, and the lever B, which is pivoted at B in the bifurcated upper end of the stand A and has the inner or. point end 6 and the outer or handle end 6. At the inner end of the lever and upon the upper side thereof I secure the point-bar (J, bolted securely at C to the lever and having the pointed end 0 extending beyond the lever and forming a barb or spur to enter the post to be lifted. On opposite sides of the point end 7) of the lever I provide means at D and E for the connection of the opposite ends of the chain F. This chain F is secured permanentlyat one end to the device D at one side of the point 6 and is detachably and ad justably connected at its other end to the device E at the opposite side of the point I). It will be noticed from Fig. 2 that the connection of the chain at the opposite sides of the point 6 is effected equidistant from and on opposite sides of the point-bar C, so that the barb (J occupies amiddle posi tion between the connections of the chain F, so that in operation the draft ofthe lever upon the chain F will be equally distributed on opposite sides of the lever in such manner as to avoid any twisting strain upon the barb or spur C so the latter can operate to lift the post straightupwardly as desired. This equal distribution of the draft strain of the chain F upon the lever also avoids any twisting of the connection or the lever, and so prevents any rackingor injury of such parts in the use of the invention.

In the construction shown the connection D is in the form of a bar lapped along one side of the point 6 and bolted securely to said part and having at its outer end an eye d, to which one end. of the chain F is permanently connected, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The opposite connecting device E comprises a bar lapped along the opposite side of the leverpoint I) from the connecting device D and having its free end eprojecting, like the eye d, beyond the end of the point I) and returned or curved backwardly and provided with the reversely-projecting studs 6, forminga T-head on the returned end 0 of the connecting device E. It will be noticed that the connecting devices D and E project beyond the point 6 substantially the same distance as the barb or spur C thus forming at the end of the lever practically a forked construction projecting forwardly from the extremity of the point'b for the connection of the chain F with the projecting barb or spur C between arms of the fork, as'will be understood from Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Thechain F is preferably connected with the eyed of the connecting device D, the other end of the chain being adjustably and detachably connected with the returned end 0 of the connecting device E, the chain.F. having its links elongated, so that the said links when turned into alinement with the T-head e of the connecting device E may he slipped on or off the returned end a in order to attach the chain to the connecting device E or to adjust the chain in such connection as may be desired to suit posts of different diameters. It will be noticed that the T-head c is elongated in a direction at a right angle to the direction of length of the lever B, so that when the chain is applied, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the T-head will prevent any detachment of the chain'from the connection E.

'In' operation to pull posts, large or small,

the device may be placed with the stand or support A about a foot from the base of the post. The handle end of the lever may now be lifted up and the barb or spur C pressed against the post as low down as possible and the chain be passed around the post from the eye (Z and secured upon the returned end 0 at the opposite side of the point 6. The chain will prevent any slipping of the barb or spur C on the post, and the handle end will be brought down and the post be lifted out of the ground as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improved post-lifter herein described comprising the stand, the lever pivoted between its ends to said stand, the chain to encircle the post,connecting devices lapped along the opposite sides of the point end of the lever and projecting at their ends beyond the end of said point, forming a forked-like construction at the point endof the lever, the projecting end of one of said connecting devices being formed into an eye to which one end of the chain is permanently connected and the projecting end of the other connecting device being returned and having revcrsely-projecting studs forming a T-head to which the other end of the chain is adjustably connected, and a point-bar secured upon the upper face of the point end of the lever and having a barb or spur projecting midway between the projecting portions of the opposite connecting devices substantially as and for the purposes Set forth.

2. The combination with the stand and the lever pivoted thereto of the connecting devices at the opposite sides of and projecting beyond the point end of the lever, the point- 4 and the chain extending between the connecting devices and ad justably connected with one of same substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the stand and the lever of the chain, and connecting devices secured to the opposite sides of the point end of the lever and projecting beyond said end and provided at said projecting ends with'means for securing the chain, and the point-bar upon the point end of said lever to engage with the post substantially as set forth.

4. A post-litter comprising a lever provided at its point end with chain-connecting devices secured to its opposite sides and projecting at their ends beyond the point end of the lever, the projecting end of one connecting device having an eye for the connection of the chain and the projecting end of the other connecting device being returned and provided with a T-head which is elongated in a direction at a right angle to the direction of length of the lever, substantially as set forth.

5. A post-lifter comprising the lever having a barb or spur to enter the post, a chain to encircle the post, and devices at the opposite sides of the point end of the lever for connection of the opposite ends of the chain whereby such ends of the chain may be secured to the point end of the lever on opposite sides thereof and equidistant from the barb or spur substantially as set forth.

' HENNING O. ROTVOLD.

\Vitnesses:

M. C. CARTER, E. M. CARTER. 

